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Location: Richmond,
Va.
Shape: Oval
Distance: .750-miles
Banking, Turns: 14
degrees
Front Straight: 1290
Feet
Banking, Front
Straight: 8 degrees
Back Straight: 860
feet
Banking, Back
Straight: 2 degrees |
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Richmond International Raceway |
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Race Recap
 The Kentucky Derby wasn't the only race that featured plenty of
horsepower and an exciting finish this weekend – Richmond Int'l
Raceway (RIR) put on a Busch Series race that was a "demolition"
Derby at times, with a record 11-tying 11 cautions. The racing was
intense, because everyone seemed to be racing like it was the last
lap, right from the green flag – and that can only lead to trouble.
The Harrah's Racing Team worked its way through all the twisted
sheet metal and hot tempers to another top-20 finish.
One of the first multiple-car crashes occurred on the backstretch --
destroying most of the cars involved. My spotter David Green told me
to keep going and it was all I could to do to miss the wreck with a
crossover move you might normally see on a basketball court rather
than a race track. With all the parts and fluid on the track, it
took a while to clean up the mess. While we were under caution, I
reviewed the lessons I learned early in the race – no matter what
anyone says, there's only one groove at RIR in the opening laps, and
if you get hung out on the high side, you'll drop in a hurry.
RIR is a challenge for me at this point in my career, because my
background suits me better to the larger tracks. Last year, I was
only able to race at Richmond once because I missed the fall race
while I was recovering from my Darlington accident with Steve Park.
I'm glad I was able to gain more seat time at our test last month
and with each lap, I'm getting more comfortable with RIR and what it
takes for our team to run well there.
The Harrah's Racing Team looked for a way to loosen up a tight car
all night long. How you get into the corners in Richmond affects how
you run the rest of the track. You want to be able to stay low on
entry and carry your speed through the corners and onto the
straightaway where Richmond is so fast for a short track.
Unfortunately, the tight condition didn't allow the car to turn well
in the corners and some of the better cars seemed to run by me like
I was sitting still in Turn 2.
Since there were so many cautions, we were able to pit several times
to make changes. We tried different wedge adjustments to free up the
car, but it seemed to get worse and worse as the race went on. But,
we were able to avoid all the wrecks and log a 20th-place finish,
seven spots better than last season and keeping with our goal of
being better at every track we return to this year.
After a long day and night at the track, I headed off to Harrah's
Cherokee (N.C.) to unwind and sleep in a little before hosting a
player event at the Cherokee-Indian gaming property on Sunday.
We're right back at it as I write this, preparing for another
challenging short-track race at New Hampshire International Raceway
this weekend. Since the Winston Cup team has the weekend off, we
plan to attend the open tests with them at Lowe's Motor Speedway to
get ready for the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 Saturday, May 25.
Thanks for all your support.
FAST FACTS: Larry Foyt ~ Hardee's 250
« Rolling, Rolling, Rolling... After racing under the lights
for the first time this season at Richmond International Raceway (RIR),
Larry Foyt will roll out to the Harrah's Cherokee (N.C.) on Saturday
for some fun and relaxation in the Smoky Mountains. Harrah's puts
Foyt back to work on Sunday evening as host for a player event at
the Cherokee Indian gaming property.
« Filling in again... Last fall, NASCAR Busch Series driver
Mark Green co-piloted the Harrah's Chevy while Larry Foyt recovered
from injuries sustained in his horrific accident the week before in
Darlington with Steve Part. Foyt thought it would be a good idea to
get Green's take on the car he'll be driving on Friday night at
Richmond's D-shaped oval.
"The Harrah's Racing Team had a good car last fall, unfortunately
we had motor problems and finished 36th. I've seen a lot of
improvement in the team this season and after speaking with some of
the guys at California, I think they've learned a lot from their
test and will do well at Richmond. The key to success at RIR is
finding the right groove on such a wide track, and the car's
handling and ability to react to the change in track conditions.
Remember, we're on the track from morning until night."
Larry Foyt... "After qualifying the car the last time we were
in Richmond, I realized that there was no way I could run the race –
I was still hurting from my accident with Steve (Park). Richmond is
a challenge for me and we've struggled to find a set up I'm
comfortable with there. I'm glad we tested there last month because
it's one of the place where seat time is really important for me.
Richmond starts a string of tracks (Richmond, Loudon and Nazareth)
that haven't been all that good to us in the past. Were faced with a
tough stretch, but our goal is still the same – better performances
at every track we return to this season. So far, the Harrah's Racing
Team has done a good job off applying the rookie lessons we learned
in 2001, and I believe we're in the hunt for more good finishes."
Jon Wolfe... "During our test at Richmond, Larry ran a better
line as he got more comfortable with the track, so we made some
noticeable gains. Applying that to raceday will be tough, because it
was so hot (90 degrees) during the day, and it's hard to tell how
the car is going to perform during a night race with cooler
temperatures. Also, the track applies a new sealant to the surface
every year and everybody screams about it, so finding the right
groove through the corners and passing will be a challenge for the
whole field. The cars slide all over the place on the new surface
every year – and every year we all complain about it. I don't
understand why they continue to do it." |
